It's My Life
by timoteii
Summary: Everyone has a different life; their own destiny and path to find. This means everyone has a different to story tell. In honour of seasaltbreeze's birthday. Seven one-shots of different pairings.
1. Intro to the Challenge

_**EPIC BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE**_

**This is a pre-arranged challenge between my sister seasaltbreeze and I. Instead of wasting your time and telling you to look at my page, I'll waste your time by explaining the challenge here. Just so you know, these one-shots are in honour of seasaltbreeze's birthday. I will be posting one a day for seven days — three before her birthday, one on, three after. **

**Challenge: **Seven one-shots of different pairings in either friendship or romance. No Lemon, Yaoi or Yuri implied.

**Rules:** Each one-shot needs to be about assigned pairings.

Can choose whether the pairing will be about friendship, romance or both.

Each one-shot is to be between 1000 – 2000 words (Yes, she knows me well enough to have set a word limit although I'm afraid I may break it at least once...).

No help allowed.

Can use any references for inspiration.

**Pairings:** Riku x Xion

Roxas x Axel x Xion

Axel x Larxene

Sora x Kairi

Naminè x Roxas

Terra x Aqua

Aqua x Vanitas

**Each one-shot will have a 'beginning' and 'end' quote that I like and think relates to the theme or certain characters in that one-shot.**

**Okay then, now for my details:**

**Summary: **Everyone has a different life; their own destiny and path to find. This means everyone has a different to story tell. In honour of seasaltbreeze's birthday. Seven one-shots of different pairings.

**Over-all Story Quote:**

Like your voice, your laugh and the way you walk, your writing sets you apart.  
>So strong is the personal imprint in writing that without ever meeting you, a skilled reader can determine how you get along with other people, what kind of work you're best at, the kinds of issues you care about and the things that excite you most.<br>Writing can offer a fascinating way to explore human nature and understand ourselves as well as the people in our lives.

**I chose this quote for these one-shots because it implies that I'll have to change my writing style to suit each person's personality (not sure if I can pull this off, to be honest). You're welcome to tell me if you think I could improve and how, it'd be great to know what other people think! Anyway, on with the stories!**


	2. Five Memories

**Well, I hope you all enjoy this!  
>Okay then, down to business:<strong>

**Pairing: **Roxas x Axel x Xion (friendship)

**Summary: **Axel is the Organisation's assassin, doing as he was told without a second thought. He believed that Nobodies didn't have hearts, and therefore, couldn't feel true emotions, only remember what it was like to feel them. That was, until his whole being was turned upside-down by to midget who couldn't remember _anything. _Now, Axel is once again only left with memories — and the bitter feelings they bring.

FIVE MEMORIES – KINGDOM HEARTS – ONESHOT.

**{ D I S C L A I M E R } If I owned Kingdom Hearts, why would I spend my time writing this? { D I S C L A I M E R }**

_A man who finds no satisfaction in himself will seek for it in vain elsewhere.  
><em>_**- La Rochefoucauld**_

* * *

><p><strong>Hearts.<strong>

**No Hearts.**

It was everything Organisation XIII focused on, Axel included.

But now, something has changed. Everything has changed. And Axel is changed the most.

Who would have ever thought those kids could affect him so, but they had. Axel's entire world had been turned upside down. But he didn't care, he had friends.

**Friends.**

Axel never thought friendship could have such impacts on him. His entire Nobody life had been about serving Xemnas, the stupid 'Superior' who was trying to ruin everything Axel had become attached to.

But that didn't mean anything, Axel was determined to put everything right again, and have those people by his side again.

A clock tower and seasalt ice cream. It had changed his life.

_Roxas... Xion... Where are you?_

Sure, Axel was considered a flirt by quite a few people — especially Larxene before she had been killed, he had once walked in on her naked and hit on her, but what was he supposed to do in that kind of situation? —himself included, but being around those Keyblade wielders had made him feel different.

**Whole.**

As if he did have a heart.

There was just something about them, Naminѐ too.

What was it that made them different? Was it their connection to the Keyblade? Even if it was, it didn't matter to Axel. He just needed his friends back.

* * *

><p>Axel regretted many things in his lives as both Lea and Axel, but never so much as letting Roxas leave.<p>

He had known that after forcefully bringing her back, not once, but _twice_, Xion might never forgive him and might just run away again. If she did, Axel wouldn't try to stop her or bring her back — if he so much as lifted a finger against her, he could ruin the trio's friendship forever.

But Roxas was a different matter. Axel hadn't thought Roxas would want to leave, even if he was made Axel had knocked out Xion.

But Roxas had, and Axel was left alone.

A while ago he had figured out the truth — Roxas was Sora's Nobody and Xion was a Replica of Sora. His memories of some girl had entered her when Naminѐ had shattered Sora's memories, and that's what made her a girl.

They were both attached to Sora and the Keyblade.

That's why, when Xion began to get stronger, and Roxas weaker, Axel knew something was wrong. But which one to save? The true Nobody who had sat on the Clock Tower with him to begin with, or the Replica that Xemnas' plans seemed to revolve around?

It tore Axel's world to pieces.

The shreds of normality he had created for himself had come tumbling down around him in a shower of memories.

_Twilight Town's clock tower... Roxas and Axel sitting atop it eating seasalt ice cream... The laughter... Coming back from Castle Oblivion to have Xion added to their little group... Meeting every day after their missions and talking about everything and nothing at the same time... So many different sunsets that all looked similar and different —with the shadows outlined by the sun's rays, casting more colours into the already beautiful sky..._

Roxas had begun to change Axel's life, and together he and Xion had. For better or for worse, it didn't matter to Axel anymore. Neither did opening Kingdom Hearts.

Axel no longer needed Kingdom Hearts to get his heart back.

Roxas and Xion had given it back to him. By having them near him, Axel felt normal again; he felt happiness, curiosity and sadness all over again, and now he was only left with regret.

Regret for not stopping them in the first place; regret for following orders; regret for not knowing what was going on sooner; regret for not looking for them straight away; regret for not being able to bring them back with him; regret for everything he had done.

They could have been the best of friends — sitting on the clock tower and enjoying seasalt ice cream, maybe finding out what a WINNER-stick was meant for, and just casually chatting like they always had.

Now, Axel had nothing. Sure, he had a crappy half-life with the Organisation, but they'd just send him on missions to try and get their hearts back, but it was no longer worth it for Axel.

Memories pulsed through his head, showing him scenes of his past...

_Pitiful heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. The rage of the Keyblade, releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free... until they weave together and make Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally, exist._

But Axel already existed...

_Roxas... are you really sure, that you don't have a heart?_

_I don't know. I can't just ...look inside. But I figure, if there is something in there – inside us – then we'd feel it, wouldn't we?_

_True enough. Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day that we met, when you got your new name, we sat right here, just like this, and watched the sun set._

Roxas' insight on things... It made Axel think that the Nobodies already had hearts, they were just dormant...

_You're early._

_No, you're just late._

_Today makes 255._

_What that about?_

_It's been that many days since I first joined the organisation. Man, time flies._

_So, you got number memorized?_

_Yeah. Have to hang onto something, right? It's not like I have any memories from before the Organisation. Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie._

_Right, that first week, you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you're still kind of a zombie._

_Oh, thanks!_

_Hey, Roxas. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colours. And out of all those colours, red is the one that travels the furthest._

_Like I asked! Know-It-All._

Roxas left himself open for lots of smart-ass comments, but he'd always just laugh them off with Axel...

_You're sure things are better this way?_

_I never expected you to question it. If you could save one of them, why would you choose the puppet? Or put it this way, which would you rather suffer the loss of: some make believe friendship, or a real one?  
>Things are finally right again. Of course we're better off this way.<br>Xemnas is exasperated from all the "fixing" we've had to do. We have to set things right. There's simply too much on the line... Lea._

Now Axel thought he had his priorities around the wrong way... He may have been friends with SaΪx when they were still Lea and Isa, but Roxas and Xion should have come first this time...

_Your mind's made up?_

_Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know._

_You can't turn on the Organisation! You get on their bad side, and they'll destroy you!_

_No one would miss me._

_That's not true. I would._

And he did... Yes, Axle did...

_Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?_

_Axel..._

_Xion... what are you gonna do?_

_I've decided that I have to go back to where I belong._

_Well, to be honest, I always felt that was best, right from the very beginning. But you know, it still really bugs me. Something about this just stinks._

_It's for the good of everyone._

_But how do you know that? Everyone thinks they're right..._

_This is right._

_They're gonna destroy you!_

_Please don't hold back, Axel. Promise._

_What's your problem?  
>You both... think you can do whatever you want. Well, I'm sick of it. Go on, you just keep running. But I'll always be there to bring you back!<em>

He had lost control of his temper at his best friend... Axel needed Xion to forgive him... he couldn't forgive himself until she did...

So many other memories, chasing around in his head, and yet Axel could only think about those five... five that meant something to him; to his core personsality; to his heart... the five memories that made him feel guilty.

And that's what made up his mind.

Now, Axel had to find his friends before either of them could get hurt — whether they are hurt by others, themselves, or each other.

There was only one thought on Axel's mind: _Roxas, Xion, I'm sorry. I've got to find them and make it up to them..._

* * *

><p><strong>Hearts.<strong>

**No hearts.**

What did it all matter?

If there we're important people, those who you thought you could never forget, in your life, then what did it matter if you did or didn't have a heart?

Axel learnt this the hard way.

**Friends.**

And although he didn't know it, Axel would never be able to explain himself properly to his best friends.

But all that mattered to Axel was finding his friends and feeling whole in their presence once more...

**Whole.**

**Now, to Axel, to feel whole, is to have a heart.**

* * *

><p><em>Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.<em>_**  
>- Aristotle <strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand, AN:**

**So, what do you think? This was shorter than I wanted it to be, and even though I only worked on it for about 15 minutes, it took longer than expected (seeing as I had to continuously replay the videos of the 'memories' I have displayed) but I'm quite happy with the result.**

**Sorry if it seems really melodramatic, but this is just the view of Axel I have obtained due to reasonably long talks with seasaltbreeze, who, I have to say it, has a massive fangirl crush on Axel due to his hair. xD**

**I'm open to any comment or critics you have to offer, just either review or inbox me — it's not like I bite!**

**Also, I have a question:**

_**When you read a story, do you prefer it to be first person or third?**_

**I'm just trying to figure out what different people like so, if you hav the time, please help me out.**

**Thank you for reading! Until tomorrow!**

**~ timoteii**


	3. An Unbreakable Connection

**Ehh, so today's been quite frustrating. If you have any problems with this one-shot, I'm sorry, but I'm just soo~ tired. We did an 18 km bushwalk for P.E. at school today. Up and down hills. Over slippery rocks. Then up and downs some more hills. Tired~. **

**I seriously had no idea what to write for this one-shot, so I went for the 'let's start with the past and lead into the beginning of the game' option. I got halfway through tonight then remembered I had a word limit... And had to delete half of it in order to have room for the game part.**

**I hope you enjoy it nonetheless though!**

**Details for this one-shot:**

**Pairing: **Terra x Aqua (friendship/romance) with a side of Terra x Aqua x Ventus (friendship)

**Summary: **Everything takes time. Nothing happens instantly. Terra and Aqua discovered this with their training, and as they grew, with relationship and feelings. Even if you can't tell them the truth, other's can see it. With the right people, they'll help you even if they don't know of your past.

**{ D I S C L A I M E R } If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would know everything that has happened and will. People, I **_**don't**_**… As you will find out in this one-shot… { D I S C L A I M E R }**

* * *

><p>AN UNBREAKABLE CONNECTION – KINGDOM HEARTS – ONE-SHOT<p>

_Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted._

**Albert Einstein (if anyone gets how this relates to the story then, I LOVE YOU! If not, please tell me, I have no idea if this stuff works… ;3)**

* * *

><p>Terra had lived in the Land Of Departure for just over a year now. Being alone with only Master Eraqus was alright most of the time, but for the record, neither of them knew how to cook.<p>

It also didn't help when Master Eraqus would leave to go help out a world every now and then, leaving Terra all alone in the castle.

Although Terra didn't mind the solitude, he missed having his parents around and being surrounded by people he knew loved him. Eraqus was a good replacement father figure, but sometimes it just wasn't enough.

That's why, when Master Eraqus came back from a long journey away to a distant world, Terra was surprised to find he didn't come back alone.

Walking a few steps behind was a young girl, maybe a year or two younger than him, looking around nervously like she couldn't believe what was happening. Her hair was a bright marine blue with aqua streaks and came down a few inches past her shoulders.

Terra was, to say the least, confused. Who was she? Why was she on this world? And why did Master Eraqus bring her here to begin with?

"Terra, come down here please. There's someone you need to meet," Master Eraqus called up the stairs to where Terra was waiting.

He just shrugged and walked down the stairs, "What is it Master?"

"Terra, I would like you to meet Aqua. She's going to be my apprentice just like you. I want you to get to know her and make sure she's comfortable living here. She recently lost her parents like you, so I want this to become her home; are you okay with that?"

"Of course Master. It'll be good to have someone around when you're gone anyway!" Terra exclaimed cheerfully. He really hoped she'd fit in quickly; having a new friend around would help make the castle seem less dreary.

"Well then, I won't keep you. Go introduce yourself, I'll be in my study if you need me," Master Eraqus said before walking up the stairs and leaving the two children alone.

'Aqua' was still looking around, head spinning from side to side, trying to take everything in. Terra thought it looked kind of cute; she seemed so innocent.

Walking up to her, he came to a stop about two metres away, "Hi. So you're Aqua right?" She nodded, so he continued, "Well I'm Terra! It's great to have someone my age around here!"

Aqua finally looked up at him with eyes to match her hair – marine blue, flecked with aqua – and seemed at a loss for words. Terra didn't know what else to say so he waited for her to speak.

Understanding that he was waiting for her to say something, she hesitantly mumbled, "Uhmm, hi. I'm 6… H-how old are you?"

Terra put on a happy grin, "I'm 8 soon! Hey, if you're going to be an apprentice too, does that mean you can summon a Keyblade too?"

"Key…blade?"

Terra was confused, "Yeah, didn't Master Eraqus show you his? Look!" And with that he pulled out Earthshaker in a flash of light. "Do you like it? I bet you'll get one too!"

Aqua just nodded, thinking to herself. The Keyblade was extremely pretty and she couldn't deny that she did want one…

"Come on! I'll show you to a room! How about you have one near mine so I can help you while you're new here?"

The rest of the day continued in somewhat the same way until Aqua was finally able to come out of her shell and talk openly to Terra, and that just made him happier; he'd made her feel welcome.

* * *

><p>Aqua had lived on a beautiful world with her parents until the heartless came. The world had begun to fall apart when she saw the heartless. They went for her parents first, and she saw giant hearts leave their bodies before she became the focus of the heartless' attention.<p>

The loss of her parents had not registered to her yet; she was too afraid of the black creatures crawling towards her.

Just as they were about the attack, a bright light seemed to flash through them, causing them to burst and disappear.

Standing in front of her was a middle-aged man wielding, of all things, a key. Aqua was shocked; she had thought the creatures were going to get her, but she was unsure whether being left with this man was better.

"Come on little one, we can't stay here." In a flash, his key turned into a glider type vehicle and he hoped on, beckoning to her.

Apprehensive at first, Aqua decided there wasn't much choice as her world was falling apart around her and took his hand.

Soon, they had left that world, headed for the man's home world, The Land of Departure, where Aqua would continue to grow up.

And as she grew up, dreams plagued her with the events of this fateful day. Even with Terra around to keep her company and cheerful, he couldn't completely keep the dreams away.

* * *

><p>As they grew up, Terra and Aqua were as close as friends could be. They spent almost every waking hour together; always enjoy the other's company. Aqua received her Keyblade, Rainfall, and trained with Terra.<p>

Even after what had happened to her, Aqua kept up a 'peppy' personality and was usually even happier than Terra.

From an early age it was shown Aqua was naturally proficient in magic while Terra was a force to be reckoned with in an up-close-and-personal match because of his strength.

When Master Eraqus noticed this, he started to get them to train each other and only supervise instead, fixing technique here, and giving support 's life became bearable, even happy, and Terra grew up having a friend of his own age that he could relate to.

Time passed, and when they were both 17 and 16 respectively, a new person arrived with Master Eraqus to the Land of Departure, almost like Aqua's own entrance to the new world, but this boy was being carried by Master Eraqus.

"Master!" Aqua and Terra shouted in unison, instantly stopping their magic training and rushing over to him.

In the arms of their Master/mentor/teacher — whatever you want to call him — was a young blonde boy of about the age of 14. He appeared to be sleeping as his eyes were closed and he was relaxed into the arms of Master Eraqus.

Aqua immediately took the boy and set him on the steps, resting his head in her lap and trying to see if he was hurt.

Meanwhile, Terra was trying to hide his jealous and irritation at what Aqua was doing by talking to master Eraqus about the younger teen.

"Master Eraqus, who is he?"

"Oh, Ventus? He was Master Xehanort's apprentice recently but Master Xehanort recently got in contact with me, asking if I would train his young apprentice as he no longer had the time. Unfortunately when I got to the designated world to meet on, Xehanort was already gone and Ventus was sleep, so I simply brought him back here."

"Hmm," Terra mused, "Does that mean we'll be helping to teach him Master?"

"From time to time, probably. You know I need to go away now and then so it shouldn't be a problem. Don't worry so much Terra! It's not like he's going to steal Aqua away from you!" Master Eraqus was smiling like a goof and the blush on Terra's face and the stuttering sounds he was making in protest. With a slight shake of his head, he began to walk inside the castle, knowing that even if Terra didn't, Aqua would take care of the newest arrival to the Land of Departure.

* * *

><p>Life continued in the Land of Departure.<p>

Aqua looked after Ventus until he was up and about looking at everything new. At first, he didn't know if he could trust these new people, but soon he became a happier energetic blonde who was open to almost anything.

Terra became his big brother in a way; Ventus idolised Terra, hoping to be as great a Keyblade wielder as the older teen.

Aqua was a mixture between mother and sister; whenever he was hurt or needed someone to understand, it was Aqua he went to. It was Aqua who had given him his nickname: Ven.

After realising this, Terra was a lot less tense when they were all together. (**A/N: **In BBS I just never really pictured Terra as a jealous type, but for some reason, I really wanted him to show more emotion towards his feelings for Aqua in the story. ;3)

Ventus was fast becoming a great Keyblade wielder — with three different people teaching him in their respective fields that can happen — and he was happy that they had accepted him.

Ventus didn't know much about feelings or anything but he could tell his older teens both felt something for each other. It left him feeling happy that they had found someone to trust, but at the same time, if they left or began a relationship, he couldn't help but think about what would happen to him. Even one the two leaving would cause devastation to him as he'd come to rely not on their power or protection, but their company.

For the first time, he was confident in where he belonged.

But after realising how they felt for each other — mostly because both of them had secretly confided in him their feelings for the other — Ventus vowed he would try to get them to realise that they liked each other without completely giving it away.

Thus, some extremely awkward moments occurred, like Terra walking in on Aqua in the shower, Ventus tripping Aqua onto Terra, and just all around having Ventus dropping hints of all different variaties in normal conversation whether they make him seem like he was a pervert of some sorts or not… Which, unfortunately, caused him to be beaten up by every now and then, while she screamed, "GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!"

All in all, the Land of Departure was an up-beat place full of fun of some sorts.

For a few days, Aqua had hardly spent time with either Ventus or Terra and it was starting to worry Ven. Terra just brushed it off seeing as they both had the Masters Exams coming up but Ven knew Aqua would usually still spend time with them.

All was revealed the night before the Exams though.

Ventus had been watching the stars shooting across the sky late in the night when he drifted off to sleep, only to be woken up by having Aqua standing over him.

To put it mildly, he freaked out.

Aqua was amused and they continued to talk for a while until Terra appeared joining in the conversation before bickering with Ventus. Aqua couldn't contain her laughter, they would make the weirdest brothers…. Soon they were all laughing before settling down to enjoy each other's company.

Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Aqua jumped up.

"Oh yeah. Terra, you and I have our mark of mastery exams tomorrow. I made us good luck charms!" In saying so, she pulled out three star shaped charms, each of the five points being separate but meeting in the middle at a simple that look like a heart.

Tossing the orange, mixing with into red and yellow, charm to Terra, a green one, blending into yellow with a different green between the two, to Ventus and a blue on of different shades for herself.

"Somewhere out there, there's a tree with star-shaped fruit, and the fruit represents an unbreakable connect so as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other. Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with sea shells but I did the best with what I had." And she had. For the past few days, she'd been spending her spare time making them, hoping to strengthen the bonds between her friends, even going as far as working magic on them.

An Unbreakable Connection.

Aqua believed she'd always have her friends, and that soon, they might become more to her even if they didn't know everything about it each other.

Because, if she was really honest with herself, did it truly matter? Even more than just sharing in their happiness at times like these?

She loved them; that's all there was to it.

Too bad nothing stays perfect forever. It just takes time for things to happen — exactly what Aqua believed wwhen it came to Terra...

* * *

><p>If we would see the colour of our future, we must look for it in our present; if we would gaze on the star of our destiny, we must look for it in our hearts.<br>**- Canon Farrar**

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaand AN:**

**I'm not so sure about this one-shot. **

**It was hard trying to get character development in to really show how Aqua and Terra felt. ****The word limit will officially be my downfall.**

**So what do you think? I'd love some help with me stories.**

**Either way, I have another question:**

_**Did anyone know that second person stories are against the rules?**_

**It completely ruined my first idea for a story!**

**Until tomorrow people,**

**~ timoteii**


	4. Knight in Shining Armour

**So this one-shot is written because I seriously couldn't think of anything else appropriate to do in my head. Roxas and Naminè just seem too innocent to do anything bad so the only answer: compromise. **

**A.K.A. I turned them into little kiddies that are just so adorable they could walk somewhere with an adult then all of a sudden be bitting your ankles and you wouldn't blame them. Did I hear an 'Awww! So cute!' Because yes; yes they are.**

**The tittle is actually the most meaningful part to me because of something I've once talked about with my friend. She and her boyfriend had just broken up and she was in the mode of 'You-still-matter-to-me-but-you're-an-asshat-at-the-same-time'. For a time she had a quote we came up with as part of her, well, status in a way? It was, 'Sometimes, your knight in shining armour is just an ass in tin foil.' Uhm, ass is the nice word for it people; she was pretty pissed and wouldn't settle for my version. xD**

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

**Once again, details for this one-shot:**

**Pairing: **Roxas x Naminè (friendship)

**Summary:** Who can't love children? Everything they do is innocent and naïve. And yet, if asked, children can understand or discover new meanings to everything. Their morals are handed down from parents but sometimes, the children surpass all expectations. With children, you can never tell what is going to happen.

**{ D I S C L A I M E R } Kingdom Hearts isn't owned by me, but if you have any idea how I can own it, let me know, 'kay? ;) { D I S C L A I M E R }**

* * *

><p>A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR – KINGDOM HEARTS – ONE-SHOT<p>

_Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up._

**~ Pablo Picasso**

* * *

><p>Every day is a new beginning; a shot at something new. Each new beginning deserves a sign to show it's different. A new colour for instance.<p>

At least, that's how an 8 year old Naminè saw the world.

Where ever she went, her sketch book for that day came too and if she saw something pretty or inspirational — that's what her mother called things — she'd sketch it down as accurately as possible.

And because each day had a different sketch book, only one colour would be found in that book. One colour depicting everything she'd see on that day.

Sunday = white

Monday = red

Tuesday = orange

Wednesday = yellow

Thursday = green

Friday = blue

Saturday = purple

Unfortunately, she drew quite a lot and always had to get new sketch books to replace the ones she'd filled up.

Being 8 now, she was in Grade 2 at primary school.

Primary school kids are all innocent and naïve as a general rule but Naminè was more so than most.

She believed that there was good in everyone, you only had to get to know them and look deep enough to find it. She believed you always had a choice, that no matter what, you could choose a different path whenever you wanted. But most of all, she believed life was fair.

* * *

><p>By a big tree in school yard, near the play ground, sat a young, blonde girl in a white sundress. She had her knees bent up so that a sketch book could rest on her legs. In this sketch book she was slowly drawing, forgetting about where she was other than whatever she was drawing.<p>

On the opposite side of tree sat a blonde boy with extremely spiky hair. He was new to the school — this being his first day — and didn't have any friends yet because the other kids didn't know what to think of him. Because of this, he was stuck on his own for lunch and had decided to sit up against the tree to relax.

Everything seemed normal; kids were playing on the playground or talking to each other, Naminè was drawing and the new boy — Roxas — hardly even seemed to exist.

Although that all changed when a big boy who seemed to be about nine years old stomped up to where Naminè was and forcefully took her sketch book and packet of pencils — including the green one she was using at the time.

Naminè was shocked and just looked at the slightly older boy in disbelief.

Roxas on the other hand, was too out of it to notice what was going on.

The boy quickly flicked through the pages in the book, looking at all the different pictures. By the time he was done, he was glaring daggers at the book so hard that it seemed he didn't — or couldn't — notice anything around him.

By then, Naminè had finally realised what had happened and didn't like the look on the boy's face.

Roxas… was still almost completely out of it and was looking up at the sky watching the clouds.

"H-hey, can I have my sketch book back now please?" Naminè mumbled just loud enough for the elder boy to hear.

He looked at her with scorn written all over his features, "Puh-lease, what would the point in that be? You clearly can't draw."

By now, Naminè could feel the water building up in her eyes but she refused to let it show. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, I could draw better than you with two hands tied behind my back!" The boy said, contempt still his main emotion while he was actually just jealous.

This loudly spoken comment finally caught the attention of the daydreaming Roxas and he began to listen into the conversation cautiously even though he knew it was bad manners to do so.

"Why even bother drawing if you're this bad at it anyway? Most of them just look like random scribbles!" The boy continued, getting a shocked gasp out of Naminè.

This, Roxas thought, was going too far. He knew everyone had their own views on things and thoughts, but being so outspoken and saying something that mean about something that matters to someone just to be mean is going too far. He was even on the verge of going to help the girl even if he didn't know her.

Naminè… wasn't holding up so well. She was quite proud of her drawing abilities and couldn't understand why this boy didn't think so as well. It just wasn't fair. What had she done wrong? Where her drawings really _that _bad?

The boy, preying on her insecurities, decided to take his hateful remarks even further by tearing out the age she had been working on and them continuing by ripping that to pieces before allowing the soft breeze the carry them away.

Naminè knew she was going to cry now — there was no doubt about it. She could feel the first tears leak out and knew that she would have had a startled sob to go with it but there wasn't anything she could do. Life wasn't being fair; it was telling her to make a choice she didn't want to.

Seeing her sob and begin to cry encouraged the boy though. He grinned and began to rip out another page before deciding that wasn't enough and started to break her precious pencils.

After he'd heard her sob though, Roxas had quickly got up in order to see exactly what was wrong. He was shocked to see a young blonde girl crying as a big boy ripped out the pages of a book and broke her pencils.

He knew that was wrong. That boy was purposely trying to make the girl sad!

Not knowing how to comfort a crying girl, he did the next best thing: get back whatever the bully had stolen. Making his way to the bully, Roxas kicked him in the ankle which caused the boy to yelp in shock and pain while dropping the book and pencils.

Seeing a new kid there to help the girl, the older boy ran away.

Roxas, satisfied with scaring the boy, turned around to see the girl looking up at him with big blue eyes and tears streaming down her face.

Knowing that the book and pencils were special, he picked them up to examine them. The book was almost unharmed except for a few pages that were missing but all of the pencils were at least broken in half. Roxas, being a smart kid at the age of eight, knew that telling her this straight out would probably upset her more. So he did the next best thing: replace what's broken with stuff that isn't.

Such a great plan right?

He sat down next to her, cradling the book, and gently flipped through the remaining pictures.

All of them were in green but they were really good! He had no idea what that other kid had been going on about when he was being mean to her.

Softly, he passed it back to her along with his own packet of coloured pencils. "Sorry I didn't come help you earlier; I didn't know he was being such a bully." He mumbled sheepishly.

Naminè just looked up at him again before giving a soft smile at the sight of the pencils, "Thank you."

"Heh. No problem at all! I don't know what he was going on about though, your drawings are amazing! I wish I could draw half that well..." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

Naminè couldn't help but smile. Sure, maybe life wasn't fair. And maybe not _everyone _believed in being nice. But what was true, was that if you didn't back down and change your mind sometimes, something good could come out of it. Like a new friend.

She had cried but she still wanted to be an artist. And now, here was this new boy who had helped her. Her own knight to save the princess.

Realising this, she flipped to a new page and began to sketch this boy in a way she had never tried before.

She used all of the new colours at once, giving him a rainbow effect, as if he was shining brightly in the sun.

* * *

><p><em>That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow show triumph in the end.<em>

**~ Lise Hand**

* * *

><p><strong>I actually… like this one.<strong>

**Shocking right?**

**Well I do!**

**Writing this while trying to be so innocent was a new experience and even though I'm sure it's not all perfect — like how I've still got complicated words in there — it just seemed to flow to me.**

**Roxas always seemed the type that, if he knew better, would never have tried to help Xemnas because of all the pain Xemnas was causing throughout the worlds.**

**And Naminè, well, even though her pictures in the game/s don't look all that great, they remind me of how a little kid draws.**

**I'm also secretly jealous of how much time she has on her hands if she gets to draw so much…**

**Sorry if it seems a bit rushed. I actually wrote this in about 10 minutes trying to meet the deadline of the 1****st**** July… and failed. Damn travelling messing up my planning… **

**To seasaltbreeze: Yes, Axel has amazing hair and gets to feel special with Xion and Roxas. It's like, the better outcome! And yeah, melodramatic for the win! Well, to be honest, I just wanted to end it mentioning something about Terra and Aqua's relationship and just, connected 1 + 1? No do not go fetch a calculator for that. ;) But yea, enjoy little ankle bitters.**

**Anyway, thanks!**

**Until tomorrow/today thing,**

**~ timoteii**


	5. We Meet Again

**Now, this one-shot actually has a meaning behind it. I actually have a friend, who has been question a lot of things about relationships, and, even though I'm not someone who can talk, I'm actually good at being a 'shoulder to cry on' and you know, having weird quotes that confuse people enough to make them cheer up.**

**This is based on her and has positive thoughts behind it hopefully symbolising that no matter how many things screw up, there's always someone out there who notices you and shows you love and that there's always a bright future ahead. Because of this, it is AU.**

**Details for this one-shot:**

**Pairing: **Sora x Kairi (romance)

**Summary: **Kairi is the perfect girl — sweet, funny caring and beautiful — but she'd never experienced love or felt the magic her first kiss was meant to have brought. Instead of becoming desperate, she moved on with her life, intent on hoping she'd experience it all one day. Maybe someone she knows is perfect as well.

**{ D I S C L A I M E R } I do not, and will never, own Kingdom Hearts… regrettably, of course { D I S C L A I M E R }**

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><p>WE MEET AGAIN – KINGDOM HEARTS – ONE-SHOT<p>

_Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning, a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable._

**~ Bruce Lee**

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><p>A lot of the time, trusting your own instincts comes naturally. The instinct of survival, to feed, to understand, all are part of being a human. Followed by these are the instincts of the heart: to care, love and show kindness. These are followed by most people and help to purify one's existence, although some people are shrouded in so much darkness that they cannot understand such acts.<p>

Kairi is the normal kind of teenager with a few advantages, the most important of which is being pure. A person who could help show others their worth, she was surrounded by friends and adoring admirers. To strengthen this, she was talented. An artist, a musician, but most importantly: a dancer. To have such talent and not be an egotistical maniac says great things about a person.

With people who care and support her around, she lived like most teens: going to school, hanging out with friends, thinking about boys — an easy-going life for an easy-going girl. However, life doesn't follow a straight path, it twists and turns, dips a dives; forever changing its direction but following the roads you choose.

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><p><strong>Xion POV<strong>

School is the depressing moment of everyone's life… especially maths. What's the use of algebra once school is over? Am I really going to walk around going, "The variable of the price times the amount I want… It's time to use algebra!" Hell. No. I'm going to go to the checkout and scan it however many times I want. Then I'm going to pay for it. Simple as that.

The main reasons for not committing suicide during maths: 1, I sit next to Naminè, and I'm pretty sure she'd completely freak out if I randomly did kill myself… damn. 2, drawing random pictures on the desks for Kairi to see later and reply to — ah, seeing the looks on my classmates faces when they randomly see 'ohai ~', a teddy bear or an anime character on the desk is priceless — thank god chibies are usually easy to draw.

Which, coincidently, leads us back to a certain maths lesson on a Friday afternoon — the last lesson of the day before Naminè and I drag Kairi to a movie night in honour of Naminè's birthday.

After planning out the movies for the past week, we finally get to watch them! We invited everyone of course, but I get the feeling Hayner and Ollete will sneak off to some corner while Pence eats all the food… either way, Riku, Roxas, Naminè and I are forcing Kairi to come so that she can unwind.

That girl is so lucky. She's so talented she gets the last double of every day off just for ballet. A.K.A, . God damn it.

When the bell goes in 5 minutes, I have the 'honour' of making sure our friend doesn't escape to guitar practice or something…

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><p><strong>Kairi POV<strong>

Damn. I was kidnaped. By my best friend; top that. Karma hates me, doesn't she? Being stuck at a movie night is NOT where I want to be, but guess what? Here I am.

Just because I got dragged her doesn't mean I have to do anything though. Therefore, I claim this couch. My. Couch. And, oh gosh, is it comfy.

Seeing Naminè walk around getting everything ready was comforting… seeing Roxas stalker her with his eyes is another thing. Xion and I have this plan though; it is completely obvious they like each other, so we're going to set them up.

Ah, Xion. Talking to her is fun, all you have to do is plan revenge for something someone did, a prank on someone for no reason, how to put Roxas and Naminè together, or go completely insane on sugar. Fun times — literally.

So yeah, Xion and Riku are talking — I am so setting them up later (**A/N: **_This is in here because I know that as soon as she sees me having a long talk with someone who I don't count as my brother, she's going to do that as revenge. Then I will punch her. Goodies… Actually, I take that back. She's already planning… _)— so I don't want to go over there; Olette and Hayner disappeared up the stairs a while ago, and that practically means I don't even WANT to know what they're up to; Pence is completely scoffing down all the food; Naminè is trying to set the movies up while scolding Pence for eating so much before anyone else gets to it; and Roxas is eye-raping… I mean, watching Naminè walk around with a smile on his face — perverted time is something you don't want to walk in on for guys, what they think is disturbing; period.

That leaves me lying on a couch looking like a slob. Guess it's time to get a drink then.

As I walked into the kitchen, I heard the door open, followed by Naminè squealing… wait, what the Hell? Naminè never squeals. Meh, I'll find out in a minute.

The only thing to drink if you want to go insane: Sprite.

So that's exactly what I got. Hehe. Everyone will die.

Walking back into the lounge room where the movie had just began, I flopped down onto 'my' couch, leaving the soda can on a table beside it.

Stretching out, I noticed the couch was harder and more uncomfortable than before. What was up with that? That's when I heard someone coughing…

"Uhh, hi there… mind getting off of me, please?" A male voice said.

As is expected, I practically jumped out of my skin, and in a standard Kairi moment, landed on my arse in the process. Why can't I be graceful when I'm not dancing? To add to the embarrassment, everyone else, and I mean everyone, Hayner and Olette had appeared down here at some point, was laughing at me.

"I know I'm super sexy and all, but if women just throw themselves at me, it'll ruin my reputation."

Damn smug bastard. By now, Xion was on the ground struggling to breathe and I could tell she was going to pay me out about this later. Looking up to confront this guy, I saw a mop of spiky, gravity defying hair that seemed familiar.

Scowling, I just huffed in embarrassment, choosing not to say anything. I didn't need to though, because he continued to speak, "Although, it is nice to see you again Kairi."

Wait, what? How'd he know my name? Probably just Naminè's doing… But that was when I noticed his eyes. Those bright blue eyes, shinning with mischief and excitement, the standout point — other than his hair — on his face.

"… Sora?"

He chuckled lightly, "Yeah, for a minute I thought you didn't recognise me!"

My first reaction was almost literally "!£$%%^^%$££%$^$$$££"… I'm such a refined person.

… Wait, does everyone enjoy laughing at me today? Because this is getting old — fast. "Wow, so much trust in me Sora."

"Aww, I don't mean it like that. Seeing as you know I'm here now, can I have that hug?"

And once again, I was embarrassed, realising that I was still sitting on the ground. Quickly I jumped up and practically glomped Sora. What do you expect? I hadn't seen the kid in years. And now that I think about it, he isn't a kid anymore… On another note, when did Sora get hot?

Maybe I just don't remember him properly; although I thought I did. He was my best friend from when we were 7 but then he moved away. All the best of people either move away (Sora) or move to (Xion); it's either extremely ironic or completely creepy. I can't choose and I don't care that much.

Fortunately Sora broke me out of me internal monologue because I probably could have kept going.

"K-Kairi… C-can't… Breathe…"

Oh, yea; glomping = strangling with me sometimes… Should've remembered that. Chuckling innocently, I pulled back, "Sorry Sora, it's just I haven't seen you in so long!"

I felt loved when he pulled me back in for a proper hug, "I missed you too Kairi," I thought I heard him murmur.

"Excuse us for ruining the moment, but will you two get your heads out of the clouds so we can watch the movies?"

… Damn you Xion. 1, You kidnap me. 2, You laugh at my expense. 3, You embarrass me again. 4, I _know _you don't care about watching the movies. And 5, … You probably just realised that Sora is perfect for setting me up with as revenge for everything I put you through…

Blushing heavily, I just sat next to Sora of the couch, deciding I could share.

Riku, being almost as stoic as usual with only a small smirk on his face, quickly put Paranormal Activity in the DVD player… Crap, Xion and I will die. Enough said.

Within half an hour, Xion was cowering into Riku's side, with Riku holding a protective arm around her and once again smirking.

Another half an hour after that, I, unfortunately, was cowering into Sora's side, being scared half to death. How can little Naminè stand these movies? I thought she was innocent!

And, seeing as I was tired after ballet practice, I soon fell asleep leaning on Sora. The last thing I remember was feeling Sora's arm around me, trying to comfort me…

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><p>Life returned to normal after the movie night except for some slight differences.<p>

Sora was now included in the group as he started going to their school the next week; everyone know Hayner and Olette were together; Xion and I put our plan into action and now Roxas and Naminè were also an item; I had my plan for setting up Xion and Riku ready. Also, Xion kept asking me if I purposely sat on Sora… Sometimes, I just don't want to know what goes through her head.

The main difference that mattered to me was the ballet concert coming up.

It had been a month since the sleep over, and I was almost literally so jittery that it was impossible for me to stay still.

There were meant to be sponsors from ballet companies coming to watch, and I had the main role. Even if I'm used to performances, this one was big, and that was making me insanely nervous.

Only Xion and Sora would put up with me for long periods of time as I usually zoned out trying to make sure I remembered all the dances (**A/N:** _seasaltbreeze literally does do ballet, and one time before a concert, it was almost impossible to get her to be her normal bubble/hyperactive self except around me and my twin_).

As such, I didn't have much time for anything but ballet.

On the day of the concert, all my friends came to wish me luck, giving me hugs in the process. To say I was nervous was an understatement; I was practically shitting myself.

Sora kept thinking I was sick because I was so fidgety while Xion was seriously about to knock me out or make me her new test dummy for a prank. Just so you know, option 1 is more preferable.

After they all left, I prepared or the show in a daze.

I was nervous mainly, but also excited; this could be an amazing opportunity.

The show went for about 3 hours and consisted of dances of different genres.

Classic ballet, jazz and contemporary were a few of the styles.

Once I'd walked onto the stage, I almost froze. That's when I saw the two people I'd be able to spot anywhere: Sora and Xion.

Both of them were smiling brightly and appeared to be giving me the 'thumbs-up'. I almost laughed. Xion has converted Sora, great.

After that, the only thing I could remember properly was looking for them every time I went on the stage. My little beacons of hope; my inspiration in all I do lately; my best friends. How could I live without them? The answer was simple: I couldn't.

It all passed as a blur and before I knew it, I was being glomped by all my friends.

At the very forefront of the group was Sora and Xion, yelling to be heard over everyone else. I felt… happy. Even if I didn't make it into a special ballet company or anything, just knowing I could have amazing friends to support me was all I needed for now.

Soon enough, everyone walked off to either go home or go out for tea or do something else. I just walked back stage to get all my stuff together. There were several texts on my phone from people who didn't come but I decided to ignore them for later.

Walking out of the theatre, I stop out the front and leaned against a pole, waiting for my parents to turn up so I could go home.

That's when I felt someone hug me from behind, and, like usual, I practically stacked it, luckily being caught by the person.

Their laugh was all I needed to tell me who it was.

"Sora! You scared me!" I quickly shouted at him. But unfortunately, this just made him laugh harder. Then I started laughing… What? I'm too much of a scaredy-cat.

Once he called down, he turned me around to give me a proper hug, whispering in my ear, "You were amazing Kairi; absolutely beautiful, like usual."

I blushed, but hugged him back.

Life was looking amazing.

Soon, it might look better.

"Want to go out with me some time Kai?"

Instead of giving him an answer, I pressed my lips softly to his. Did someone say fireworks? Day-umn.

Yep, life is definitely getting better.

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><p><em>Your first kiss is meant to be the most important, but what is truly more beautiful, is the last one you will ever know, especially when shared with the person you love above all else.<em>

**~ Heard it before, unknown speaker, unknown wording – this is just the way I remember it.**

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><p><strong>AN:**

**So this one kind of breaks the rules… It's over 2000 words but I just let it write itself sooo… Either way, it's a special tribute to the birthday girl.**

**And it was so challenging! I don't like writing first person all that much but I wanted it to seem like it's a mixture of Renee and Kairi put together so sorry if it's OOC. I'm trying to work with what I can and it's harder than anticipated. ;3**

**To the main point, I hope your relationship works out hun and if it doesn't, we'll always be here for you. Also, you guys were super cute tonight. ;)**

**Seeing as I'm not exactly experienced in this stuff, if you have any problems with the story/wording/plot or anything, I'm really sorry.**

**I'm open it constructive criticism as English is something I actually love and having an opportunity to improve would be amazing. This story was meant to be the best but when I think about one of the other ones I have planned, I dunno…**

**Either way,**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SEASALTBREEZE THE MOST AMAZING SISTER (metaphorically) I COULD EVER HAVE ASKED FOR. I LOVE YOU GIRL. ENJOY YOUR 15****TH****; NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO HAVE ONE HELL OF A PARTY SO GET READY! ;)**

**Once again, until tomorrow,**

**~ timoteii**


	6. Enjoy Your Holidays

**So, for this pairing I wanted to stick to Cannon, but it was so hard~! They hardly ever meet and if I were to write it in a 'future meeting' kind of perspective I'd feel like an idiot who knows nothing when the next game comes out.**

**Instead, it'll be AU and hopefully it can help anyone who's feeling down… or make them more depressed. I seriously don't know anymore.**

**But either way, enjoy~!**

**Details for this one-shot:**

**Pairing: **Aqua x Vanitas (romance)

**Summary:** Holidays. Every child, teenager, man or woman _loves _holidays — unless you're a work-a-holic or a complete antisocialist. Vanitas is an antisocialist, but even his holidays are looking up for once.

**{ D I S C L A I M E R } Kingdom Hearts isn't owned by me, nor are its creators. If only I did own them… Animation away! { D I S C L A I M E R }**

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><p>ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS – KINGDOM HEARTS – ONE-SHOT<p>

_The geat blessing of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it._

**- Seneca (7 B.C. - 65 A.D.)**

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><p>Vanitas was, and maybe always will be, a solitary person. He didn't enjoy other's company because most of them time they just wouldn't shut up.<p>

All of his life so far he had gotten by alone. His parents were always away on business trips and when they were home they just didn't care, so now, Vanitas was a 'loner'.

Being alone all of the time wasn't so bad though; you could discover a lot of things about yourself. Like how Vanitas knew he hated loud, obnoxious, pretentious twins… It just so happened that said loud obnoxious, pretentious twins were his cousins, Sora and Roxas.

And heck, did they make his life hell.

They were even forcing him to go to schoolies now that year 12 was over.

Vanitas was unsure how _anyone, _let alone himself, would _want _to go to something like schoolies. All it involved was being surrounded by other teenagers-going-on-adults like himself and, in general, people his age came at number five on his list of most hated things; the first four being babies, young children, clowns and needles.

All of the above do not need explanations; they are evil.

Unfortunately, his parents had stepped in and had sided with _the _twins. Damn puppy dog eyes that work on most people, and when twins use it, it's even more effective. Damn it all… Why did him not having a girlfriend make it so important to go out and mingle with others?

And now, because of all of this, he was stuck on a bus of even more loud idiots who don't understand the meaning of 'SHUT THE HELL UP!'

To say Vanitas had a headache was the understatement of the century.

Though there was one other person who seemed to be having trouble with being stuck on this bus. A woman/girl with short blue hair.

Vanitas was intrigued by that; most people who looked gorgeous would act snobby and think they're the queen of the world.

_Wait, what?_ Did he just call someone gorgeous in his head? Something must be up; he'd never thought something like that before.

Before he could look too deeply into the matter though, both Sora and Roxas had appeared on either side of him and began shouting that he needed to talk to others.

_Screw that,_ he thought and continued to look out of the window.

* * *

><p>Four hours later everyone was trying to get off the bus.<p>

It amazed Vanitas how some of the idiots managed to even walk as he'd seen them consume _a lot _of alcohol just on the trip here and yet, here they were, still walking and managing to collect their bags.

On top of his black and navy blue bags was a light blue suitcase and bag. Groaning, he lifted them out of the road and turned to place them on the ground...

Only to bang into the blue haired girl who'd seemed to have as much trouble on the bus as him. She fell backwards but he managed to keep his balance.

Putting down the bags, Vanitas offered his hand. He had no reason for doing so but it seemed like the right thing to do. Gratefully, she took it.

"Ugh, sorry. I was just trying to get my bags," she mumbled, eying the blue ones he'd just moved. "Thanks for taking them out for me …?"

"Vanitas."

She smiled a bit at getting his name, "Yeah, well, thanks Vanitas. I'm Aqua by the way. It was nice to meet you; if you see me some time while here, don't be shy, 'kay?"

And once again, Vanitas' headache was back. But this time it wasn't because of noise. This time, it was because he couldn't understand the girl in front of him, and that bothered him. He had a natural knack at knowing what people meant when they said one thing and meant another but this girl had just stumped him, and that made him want to find out more about her — although he'd never admit that out loud.

Instead, he simpley replied, "Alright," thinking she would leave.

Instead, Vanitas experienced his first conversation with, well, anyone that didn't annoy him to no end. Sure, he got a headache now and again from talking to her, but that just made him more interested. Nothing was more interesting than a puzzle that you can't complete.

* * *

><p>Vanitas was staying at schoolies for a week and, as it happened, so was Aqua.<p>

They quickly became friends, close friends some would consider, especially when it came to Vanitas. His first ever friend was a girl. What the hell?

With the bonfires on the beach and everything else to do at schoolies, it was never really boring.

Well, it would've been for Vanitas, but Aqua achieved something that people — mainly Sora and Roxas — had been trying for years: she got him to get off his arse and actually do something with other people of his own free will.

It was like a miracle on the day of the devil — whenever the hell that was of course.

She had spent five minutes asking him to come to a fair in the town and now BAM! Here he was.

Sora and Roxas particularly kept sneaking glances at him as if he'd gone insane without them knowing while Aqua had a cheerful smile on her face and talked to him — without being too loud or annoying of course.

With all the sideshows along the path, there were a lot of distractions.

An extremely difficult game caused Aqua to pout for an entire 5 minutes when she couldn't win even after having about 20 goes. Needles to say, Vanitas soon made his way over to the game and won in one shot… Which made Aqua extremely happy and extremely pissed at the same time.

"Show off," she muttered as he handed her a giant Mickey Mouse plushie. Vanitas just smirked and continued walking.

By then, Sora and Roxas had almost fainted. Vanitas never socialised, he never played games, and he never, _ever,_ did something nice for others.

In this fair was a large rollercoaster. It zoomed around the tracks at fast speeds while still taking difficult turns and doing loop-d-loops (loop the loops?). To say Aqua watched it in awe is extremely misguided.

She stared at it…

And stared at it…

And stared at it…

Until she stood up and began jumping up and down in excitement before running over to the line of people waiting calling out to Vanitas, "OI! Vanitas! Get your ass over here right now and come on this one sexy ride with me before I decide you haven't moved fast enough!"

Anyone who knew Vanitas stared with the jaws agape as he absolutely _sprinted _to where Aqua was standing. _What the hell has she done to him?_ Was the collective thought.

In a few minutes, the two 'adults' were strapped into a cart as it flew around bends at amazing speeds. At first, Aqua was exhilarated, but after the first loop-d-loop she was terrified.

The rollercoaster was actually too fast for her liking.

This being the case, the safest way to forget the outside world is to not see it. Therefore, Vanitas practically had a heart attack when Aqua started burying her face in his chest, trying to block out the feeling of flying around bends.

The ride continued like this until Vanitas stopped having a panic attack and slid an arm around Aqua.

Once the ride had finished, both of them were blushing furiously while trying to hide it from everyone around them.

… That was until Aqua saw a cotton candy (fairy floss) stand once again began jumping up and down.

Seeing the way she changed emotions so fasted and acted differently to all the other girls — and people in general — he had met, Vanitas couldn't help but smile. Not a smirk, but a genuine _smile._

_The world has frozen over._

Just ask anyone who saw that little movement in Vanitas' face, they'll be happy to give you the message.

_Now run for your life before he smiles again!_

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><p><em>To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory; to be vanquished by one's own nature is the worst and most ignoble defeat.<em>

**- Plato**

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><p><strong>AN:**

**I wanted to post this tomorrow but I thought it's be easier than the one I wanted to write today so now I'm kind of upset. Sorry if you don't like this chapter, I just wanted to mess around with Vanitas a bit.**

**Aqua seems a bit OOC to me, but all girls love sugar… unless they're some snob that worries about how they weigh too much.**

**The last bit at the fair was by far my favourite. A controlling Aqua and whipped Vanitas without him knowing he's whipped. xD**

**Also, Vanitas smiling IS the end of the world. I swear. He's even more of a stuck up emo than Sasuke from Naruto and that guy got screwed over in the head by his brother, lusts for power and lived with a creepy pedophile for a while.**

… **Vanitas shouldn't be that emo. He needs to smile more. And now that Aqua is around, maybe he wiill~!**

**Actually, I'm more of a fan of Terra x Aqua than Vanitas x Aqua. Sure, opposites attract and all that, but suggesting such a pairing when they meet what, 3 times? 4? I dunno, it just doesn't seem right to me.**

**Sorry for my ramblings.**

**Anyway, until tomorrow,**

**~ timoteii**


	7. A Comfortable Silence

**I actually really like this pairing. Everyone knows Sora and Kairi deserve to be together but if that happened, who would Riku be with? That's right; Xion.**

**You **_**have **_**to have seen that he actually helped her in 358/2 days when his goal was just to get his best friend back. And who would be better for him than someone who is part Sora part Kairi, his two best friends? Well, Sora's memories of Kairi but it's still the same thing!**

**Details for this one-shot:**

**Pairing: **Riku x Xion (hopefully romance but it might seem more friendship orientated.)

**Summary: **Nothing in her life was certain; everything would change in the blink of an eye. The only thing she believed was certain was that she had friends. But did she really? And why did other people always have to come and just confuse her more? … Especially _him…_

**{ D I S C L A I M E R } If I owned Kingdom Hearts, Xion would still be alive. She deserves a main spot in the story line God Damn It! { D I S C L A I M E R }**

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><p>A COMFOTABLE SILENCE – KINGDOM HEARTS – ONE-SHOT<p>

_He who has a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'._

**Friedrich Nietzsche**

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><p><strong>Xion P.O.V<strong>

Roxas.

Axel.

Roxas and Axel.

They mattered to me.

But did I really matter?

For a while, I didn't speak. I didn't eat. I didn't think. I just did what I was told.

It seemed as if Xemnas wanted it to be that way. To have a tool that made no noise and did as commanded without thinking about the mission or the personal risks.

And that's exactly what I was until Axel went away and I was put on missions with Roxas. What is it about him that made me change? It just seemed so natural at the time to try and talk to him… like he was a part of myself…

And then I started hallucinating. In some of the worlds I went to, my mind would replay images as if I'd been there before. Sometimes it looked like Roxas suffered from them too. Maybe that's why I tried connecting with him; did I think he was like me?

Well, no matter what the cause was, it has lead to being the best choice I've probably made.

I'm still confused about everything that there is to know about me but I feel as if Roxas, and Axel sometimes, are helping me to become… _someone._ I can't say that I believe it's entirely me, because how can a Nobody that remembers nothing have an identity?

One word — or was it a name? — kept haunting me: Sora.

For some reason, I felt like that was the connection between Roxas and I; but how could that be?

No matter what I did, no secrets unravelled themselves to me. I was always just getting more confused and hiding it behind a thoughtful expression or laugh when with my two friends.

Then I ran away. And passed out. And _he _found me.

With long white hair and bangs that fell in front of his eyes it was a dreamy look… until I noticed the Organization cloak and the black cloth tied around his eyes.

That froze my blood as I thought he was part of the organization and had to take me back. Fortunately for me, he just talked to me for a while. About what I was insecure about, too. Sora.

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><p><strong>Riku P.O.V<strong>

When I found her, she was lying on the ground having fainted from something.

It was almost like looking at a darker version of Kairi. The same short-cut hair but black, the same facial shape but a pale white, and the same height too.

Sure, Sora's memories of Kairi were the strongest, but I was starting to doubt how much he paid attention really. When she opened her eyes, they were the exact same shade as Sora's.

That's when I understood. She was like merging the two together and if I was honest with myself, she was gorgeous.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not homosexual or anything, but joining my two best friends together made me think she'd be the perfect compromise without even knowing her yet. Unfortunately, she completely freaked out at seeing me; _probably the cloak,_ I mused.

"Wh-who are you?" She managed to stutter out. _Hmmm, she doesn't know anything._

"I'm Riku and you're Xion, correct?"

"Y-yes… D-do you know Sora?"

_She knows who Sora is? _"Yes, he's my best friend. I'm trying to save him."

"What does he have to do with me? Please, I'm so confused…"

"You know Nobodies are created when their Sombody's heart gives into the darkness right?" She nodded so I continued, "Well Sora practically gave up his heart to save our other best friend, creating his Nodody. That's why you can use the Keyblade because he was the true Keyblade wielder."

"Then why can Roxas use it too? Why did he have it first?"

"Because Rooxas is Sora's Nobody."

"I don't understand. I thought I was?"

"No. In releasing his heart to save Kairi Roxas was created. But Naminè, Kairi's Nobody fractured Sora's memories cuasing Roxas to not know his origins."

"How do I come into this then? Am I not real? I know I'm somehow connected to Sora but if Roxas is his Nobody, how?"

"You're the embodiment of his memories of Kairi — his strongest memories." There was slight bitterness in my voice that I couldn't hide. It was sad that his memories of Kairi came over me but considering what I'd done it shouldn't affect me so.

"Xion, in order for me to save Sora, both you and Roxas need to become one with him again. It would answer all your questions too…"

"… There's a down-side to this isn't there?"

As she said that, I didn't want to tell her the 'down-side' as then she would become likely to never agree. But at the same time, I _wanted _to tell her just to make her continue living. There was something about her that was enchanting. The innocent yet depressed expressions; they made me want to comfort her.

"… Yes. As you are made of memories, if you agree, you will be forgotten."

"I can't do that! I-I'm confused now but Roxas and Axel still need me!"

Yes, she definitely came from them. The persistant attitude when it came to friends… Sora had had that with me the entire time I was giving in to the Darkness. "You need not decide now Xion. I don't want to rush you. But maybe, sometime soon, you should meet Sora."

"Why do you want me to 'become one' with him so much?"

"He's been my best friend since we were kids. When I lost hope, he had enough for both of us. He saved me from the deepest pits of Darkness at the risk of his own life… It's about time I returned the favour don't you think?"

"Well… yes, but isn't there another way? One where Roxas and I can continue being remembered at least?"

"Xion, Roxas would still be remembered… Only you would be forgotten. But they're planning on having you absorb Roxas' power anyway which would make it impossible for Sora to return. Haven't you seen his weakened sate? Your own increase in skill? It's already happening."

I don't know how, but when saying this, I was completely up in her face. She needed to understand. Even if I was becoming attached to her, Soora deserved to come back for all the good he's done.

_Wait, attached? _Something was wrong with me. I couldn't afford to treasure her more than Sora.

"I-I'll think about it… But I really would like to meet Sora."

"You're not ready yet Xion. If you're planning on going back, expect me to visit you when I can. If not, think about somewhere happy."

And with that, I disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness. (**A/N: **_Can Riku do that? I have no idea anymore… Mind fuzzled… O_O)_

I won't force her to make a decision. Especially when she reminds me of Sora and Kairi so much… For some reason, she's become to instantly just mean more to me tha she should.

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><p><strong>Xion P.O.V<strong>

He left me to decide. How sweet. But his parting words stirred something inside of me.

"…If you're planning on going back, expect me to visit you when I can. If not, think about somewhere happy."

Was I feeling excited about seeing him again?

But that was impossible… Axel told me that Nobodies didn't have feelings…

And yet, when Roxas was unconscious, I swear I saw him with water on his cheeks once. _Tears. _For some reason, I knew what they were called. It probably has something to do with Sora or Kairi…

I'd expected this mysterious Riku to give me answers; now I was just as confused, if not more. I knew my origins now, but there were so many un-answered questions, especially about Sora and Roxas.

Roxas… I was stealing his power; his life… How could I do this to my best friend?

Now, when I think about my short existence, I realise there's two, no three, people who matter.

Roxas, Axel and now Riku.

Roxas and Axel share sea salt ice cream with me, and that makes them my best friends. But for some reason, Riku just fitted in to my thoughts with ease.

I wonder, when he comes to see me, will we share sea salt ice cream too?

For some reason, that didn't seem enough for me. I wanted… to mean more to him. I don't know how, but I did.

Heading back to the Organization would be best. I had to look after Roxas, but if I was honest, I wanted to just be around Riku, even if we weren't talking.

"… Think about some place happy."

The only happy place I know is the clock tower…

Quickly summoning a Corridor I headed through to find Riku sitting there. I knew he could sense me, but he didn't acknowledge me, and I didn't him. Instead, I sat next to him, revealing in the silence.

Silently, he handed me a sea salt ice cream.

I smiled, but stayed quiet. The silence was a happy one, as if just being near him soothed me.

Coming to a decision, I decided I wouldn't question him yet. It was too peaceful. But he could be sure I would eventually ask what I wanted to know and how I had to do everything.

Because If I was going to give up my entire existence, I wanted to understand things and know what it was like to live before I did. Even if Riku was against it, I was still going to do it.

But for some reason, I had a feeling he'd just along with what I wanted, and this feeling said it had nothing to do with him needing me to get Sora back.

… Feelings were weird.

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><p><em>The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.<em>

—**Ralph Waldo Emerson****  
><strong>

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Blah. I'm so dumb. I've played 358/2 Days but it never really goes into depth about Riku and Xion's meeting, therefore I was curious and my curiosity lead to this.**

**Chain of Memories would probably help with the meeting and what Riku goes through, but he can deal with being a sappy apparently emotionless person today.**

**This actually took forever to write as I actually had homework. It's like, I've been cursed. One week left and I start getting homework… What, the hell?**

**Anywho~, If there's some stuff that is wrong, please let me know. My Kingdom Hearts knowledge kind of sucks so I was putting it together in my head.**

**Blarg, so this would be my least favourite one-shot. Tomorrows should be the best. As it is the last, I plan on letting loose. Fun. And I can be insanely stupid sometimes.**

**So hope you enjoy it anyway!**

**Until tomorrow,**

**~ timoteii**


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